Frank was looking at his family albums as he started remembering the horrible year 1943.
It was pouring rain. The river was growing higher and higher by a minute.
Frank and his sister were patiently waiting for their parents to come back from their swim as the dark clouds were looming over Duskville.
It was getting late, so they decided to go to bed and left a note for their parents.
The next morning, they woke up and went downstairs to say hello to their parents. They searched the kitchen, the bedroom and even the bathroom but no one was home. Something was wrong, so they decided to go and look at the river.
As they were approaching the river, they saw police officers and an ambulance.
Their parents had drowned.
1998 – The present
“Dr No, here’s your aeroplane ticket and your passport are waiting for you on your desk!” – Said Frank's secretary. He was going to visit his birth town. He felt excited yet scared. His flight wasn’t leaving until 3 pm, so he figured he still has time to try and decode the map he found just a few days ago. The map is the main and only reason he decided to go to Duskville.
The map came with a letter from his parents saying that they had hidden a treasure shack in the woods near the river. Frank was looking forward to finding it.
While getting off the plane, he felt shivers down his spine. He couldn’t remember the last time he was here. On the way to his motel, he saw a shadow. Suddenly, something jumped out in front of him and made his heart jump out of his chest. “Scram you little delinquent!”, yelled Frank when he realised the shadow was an overly enthusiastic Halloween lover.
At 7 pm he had a business dinner with the manager of the local forestry. He offered him a large sum of money to cut down all the trees in the forest above the river. Naturally, the manager said yes, and even offered to have his people start working on it tonight. Frank felt like he was one step closer to finding the treasure.
Meanwhile, Mike, Sally and Theodore the Bear went trick or treating.
They started off at the castle and went all the way down to the local campsite.
On their way there they saw a fox coming out of the woods. She looked like she was crying, so they went up to her and asked her if she was okay. She told them that her home is being cut down with some huge machines and that now she has nowhere to live. “Wait, I got an idea!” said Mike.
He suggested that they go to his grandpa and ask if he can help since he is a scientist.
They told the scientist all about what had happened. The scientist started going mad and rambling on about how we are all going to run out of the air if they keep cutting trees, so he agreed to help.
While trying to think of a plan, he started hearing raindrops… Then he saw lightning and finally, he heard thunder. BOOM!!! There it was! He came up with an idea in a matter of seconds.
“Kids, I’m gonna’ need you to get me a couple of dozens electric transformers.”
Each of them took a few transformers and started putting them on top of the tree stumps. The scientist planned that the lightning hit the transformers and the major power and electricity would go to the root of the trees and revive them.
When it was all set, he told the kids to go home and get a good night sleep because tomorrow night these trees will look brand new.
Precisely 24 hours after, Mike, Sally, Theodore the Bear and the fox met up with the scientist on the path right before the woods. When they took a step into the forest, all the cut-down trees suddenly were looking greener than ever. They all started celebrating and jumping around. The fox thanked them all and said goodbye.
Just a few hours before, Frank wanted to go and start looking for his family treasure when he realised he lost his map. He spent all day looking for it and didn’t even have time to realise that the forest magically grew back overnight.
“Look! A treasure map!” shouted Sally as she picked it up from the ground.
The kids were very intrigued by it. Naturally, they decided to go treasure hunting. They brought their binoculars and a few shovels. After half an hour they finally saw something interesting.
“Mike, tell me! What is it?“
Mike saw an old man digging up. He had a big smile on his face along with some dirt. Mike and his friends approached him and hoped to find out what’s in the box that was in front of him.
“Hello sir, excuse us but, we think we found your map” – said Sally.
Frank looked at them curiously. When he realised it was his map, he thanked them and told them he would let them see what’s inside the big box.
They all gathered around the rusty brown chest in the old shed and patiently waited. At last, Frank opened it. He was surprised with the things he found inside. There were a few family albums, a lot of toys and an old audio tape.
Frank's emotions had overwhelmed him.
Mike and Sally started comforting him, and Theodore the Bear gave him a big hug.
When he calmed down, he wanted to thank the kids for having a shoulder to cry on so he gave them all the toys from the box. Frank took his treasure home after he gave a warm goodbye to everyone.
The kids took all their new toys home and joyfully played with them, feeling that they experienced a magical night they will never forget.
mentor: Marina Moćan
OŠ Pantovčak
Zagreb